The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-21
THE COLLISION AT REPUBLIC.
IL Was Caused by Carelessness and Negligence,
but There Is No Law to Punish the Guilty.

TIFFIN, o., Feb 20.-The investigation of the
great Baltimore e Ohio wreck of Jan. has
drawn to an end finally, and tomorrow morning
tn, verdictiwill be rendered by Coroner Sepper
The verdict is very lengthy document, of
which the following is a synopsis from an ad-
vance copy secured tonight
The coroner first finds that VIM Fredericks
of Holgate, o.; j. NJ. Francis and Frank Irwin,
of Blackhand. o.; w. S. Pierce, of Wheeling
Va; Joseph Postethwaite. Henry Pestlethwaite
and Spencer Postlethwaite, of Wetzel county,
West Virginia: M. II. Parks, of Washington, d.
c.; Frank d. Bowman, of Mechanicsburg Pa; /;
David Ober, of Oberlin. Pa Thomas Q. Penn
berton, of BayEe, O.; Alva B. Ice, of Penied,
H. John S. Gartner. of, Mechancsvi!le Ia, and
others, whose names are unknown, came to their
death by a collision on the Baltimore d Ohio
railroad. one-half mile west of the village of Re-
public Jan. 4. 1887, at 2 o'clock A. NJ He also
finds that freight engine No. % was in an unsafe
and unservceabe condition, and that the Off
cals of the road had been notified of this
fact, but still allowed it to be used The
engineer of the freight train, Edward S. Killer,
was not intoxicated, as charged, but was worn
out with sixteen hours and fifty minutes contln-
uous duty with green fireman and poor en-
gine. He had plenty of time to get to Republic
from Seneca sding-thirty eight minutes to run
ten mes-but his engine was poor and leaked
80 that the fires were put out and it ''ded' on
the track at the point Of the collision. The con-
ductor of the freight, l.. f. Fletcher, failed in
his duty in not tagging the limited express for
he knew the engine had ded" ten minutes be-
fore the express du8 The brakes of the
express were inferior and '-e%sct 'or they
faile .,ninish spec 9t 5rty miles
an lore than one ha !! a 4ise.uc Of one
: sssA,- 81 feetrs Fhe IpSa- nf beating and
lighting the cars ~of tho express train
was inferior, unsafe and dangerous, and con-
trary TO the law of the State of Ohio. Had the
lighting ard heating been proper the cars would
not have burned. and the loss of life would
have been very light He therefore finds that
tho above persons came to their death through
gross negligence on the part of the officials and
managers of the Chicago division of the Balti-
more e. Ohio railroad, and through the gross
negligence OF Conductor l.. f. Fletcher, in fail
ing to signal the express train, and through
gross neglige &c on the part of the owners
managers and officials of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railway Company for using on said express
train inferior and ineffective brakes; also fol-
using an improper, dangerous and unlawful
manner of lighting and heating the cars of said
EXPRESS
It would seem that such negligence as resulted
/, in such a great loss of life could not be Other
than criminal, but there are laws in Ohic
making such negligence crime, and no laws
under which such persons can be charged with
crime The verdict will cause something of
stir especially in this State, and will probably
be the cause of the enactment of laws maxim.
such negligence described a crime, with SO
we're punishment